Gratiot Board of Commissions shows no interest in an advisory committee for animal control

Gratiot County’s Animal Control Director Tom Clark outlined the entire shelter program for the board of commissioners Tuesday.

His detailed report followed action from a meeting a few weeks ago when shelter volunteers and others requested an animal shelter advisory committee.

They want the animal control office to become a no-kill shelter.

But it looks like the county board isn’t interested.

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In his report, Clark said that in 2012, the Gratiot shelter put down a total of 42 animals from the 539 taken in – or 92 percent adopted or “saved.” Clark noted that some of those dogs put down were at the request of the owner, when the animal was suffering.

In 1998 in Gratiot, the “save” rate was only 20 percent, he said.

Clark compared Gratiot’s expenses and the number of animals taken in to the number of dogs euthanized with other surrounding counties.

In Isabella County, for example in 2011, 1,125 dogs were taken in and 113 were euthanized.

In Montcalm County in 2011, 819 were taken in and 409 were put to sleep.

Montcalm, with 2.4 employees has a budget of $170,000 and Isabella, with 2.65 employees has a budget of $239,000 plus an additional $155,000 from the Humane Animal Treatment Society to run the shelter.

Gratiot has a budget of $164,000 plus $8,320 in donations and three full time equivalent employees with one employee’s salary paid by donations. Clark also pointed out that he has about 50 volunteers who regularly spend time at the shelter and included letters of support from some of the volunteers.

“I truly believe our animal control facility is very accommodating to the residents of Gratiot County,” he said.

Following the report, however, the board took no action.

Commissioner John Renneberg asked Clark a series of questions to which Clark replied in the affirmative. Renneberg that said he sensed a “hidden agenda” that seems to pop up every two months, but did not elaborate on the statement.

Even so, Clark said he agreed.

Renneberg added that he and the rest of the board wanted to increase his budget.

Commissioner Jan Bunting had questions about the transportation of dogs to rescue organizations and Clark explained that the volunteers do that.

There was little further comment and no motion was made.

Gretchen Harrison, Help Furry Friends member and volunteer, was not pleased with the meeting.

“Innovative ideas are not welcome at Gratiot Animal Control,” she said after the meeting. “The few positive steps at the animal shelter over the past four and a half years have happened because of relentless citizen advocacy, not because of any initiative by Mr. Clark or the county.

Harrison was referring to programs such as Petfinder, rescue collaborations, volunteers, puppy shots, expanded shelter hours, humane euthanasia method and opposition to the contract that would take animals from the shelter and provide them to labs.

“Since 2009, we have struggled to communicate with two different department directors, three different boards and now a third county administrator,” she said. “We hoped that an animal shelter advisory committee, which would report to the board, would be the best way to provide unbiased research and develop a strategic plan for the shelter.

“Nearby counties have made outstanding advances in their animal shelter services,” she said. “We are very disappointed that Gratiot County has no vision for the future of our shelter.”

In another matter, the board agreed to hire lawyers Paul Joseph and Sherry Hedrington for “on call” use by the county at a rate of about $165 an hour.

It also agreed to hire Lansing labor lawyer Peter Cole to handle contract negotiations with the county’s three labor unions. Cole is charging $185 an hour.

Linda Gittleman may be reached at 989-463-6071, lgittleman@michigannewspapers.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lgittleman.